


Online and Operational

by SupposedToBeWriting



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Amnesia, Data is very temporarily captured and Geordi is the Enterprise's functional workaholic, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Repairing in the most Literal Sense, With frequent and frustrating appearances by Spot the Cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-27 09:17:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21389776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SupposedToBeWriting/pseuds/SupposedToBeWriting
Summary: >> needs to work on my actual OC writing>> writes daforge hurt/comfort insteadFor some reason, I feel as if I write amnesia fics for all my pairings. Detroit: Become Human (sometimes I look back on it and cringe), Good Omens, and Spirk (for like a chapter). Not sure why it comes up so often, but this idea's been kicking around in my head for a little while. I'm just a sucker for hurt and comfort, especially for these two.Thank you for reading! <3
Relationships: Data/Geordi La Forge
Comments: 49
Kudos: 302





	1. Retrieval

“How’re you doing?”

Riker’s question surprised him from his thoughts. Geordi honestly hadn’t spent much time thinking about _how he was doing. _But, sitting in the shuttle, Geordi figured they had time for idle chit-chat.

Sitting in a red uniform, Riker was out numbered, the only command officer in a shuttle full of Engineering crew. Geordi had requested that when they’d been making the away team. They’d need every scrap of Engineering power they had. If he could bring the entire department, Geordi would.

Data had been gone –kidnapped -- for three weeks. First, they’d tracked down a Ferengi vessel. Then, when they’d tracked down the Ferengi vessel, they learned he’d been transferred to a small little smuggling outfit. They’d tracked down the small little smuggling outfit, who had politely informed the Enterprise that their second officer had been bought.

_Fucking bought. _

Geordi had been _seething _with rage. He was almost glad he hadn’t been at that conversation, instead listening in through Picard’s communicator on the ship. He would’ve broken a couple Starfleet regulations that day.

And now, here they were. The Enterprise had approached the freighter with perhaps more aggression than strictly necessary. Picard had contacted the head of the freighter, who was not only shocked by the whole situation but appropriately mortified by the implication that they had _bought _a _person, _android-or-no. While the freighter captain had not seen a living person being smuggled aboard, he also bashfully admitted that he hadn’t exactly checked the cargo hold for a person who did not need to eat, sleep, or breathe air.

Which meant that they had to search manually. They were puttering along in a shuttle, the freighter looming large against the viewscreen. Every single crewmember had the entire cargo manifest downloaded onto their PADDs. Nothing had seemed to stand out as ‘_hey, here’s the chief engineer’s partner and also the second officer of the goddamn starship’, _so they were being systematic. The manifest had been organized into neat quadrants for search.

Geordi didn’t answer Riker’s question. He instead pulled the PADD up again, trying to determine if _Tachyon Thermite _or _Andorian Wooly Bear Milk Concentrate _could conceivably be Data. And those were the specific ones. What about the hundred entries that were simply _circuits _or _polymers _or even _technical parts? _ Thinking about it too much made him feel beyond hopeless. A frown started to grow at the corners of his lips.

Riker put his hand up over the PADD, pushing it down from Geordi’s face. “Geordi.” More than idle chit-chat. Professional-bordering-on-paternal inquiry. _Great. _

“That an order, Commander?” God help him, it sounded acidic, but Geordi couldn’t force himself into higher spirits. It was Riker’s turn not to answer him. He dipped his head, apologetic, and scrubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry. I’m just worried about him.”

“I know. We all are.” As Geordi’s head dipped forward, Riker’s hand pressed between his shoulder blades to pat him. “You know how Data is. He’ll be okay.”

Yeah, he _did _know how Data was. Data was durable (physically and in spirit), selfless, and patient. But it’d almost been a month since Geordi had last seen him, and he didn’t want to think of what he’d been through since then. Geordi _knew _he couldn’t blame himself; there was nothing he could’ve done. But he felt so much sympathy and grief on Data’s behalf that some of him was reflected at him from its sheer intensity.

“I know. I just hope – “ The shuttle shuddered as it approached the freighter. Geordi cut himself off to stand first. One of the large arms extended forward, reaching for the access port on their tiny shuttle. He braced himself against the hull, getting jostled. _Just hope we aren’t going to be sent somewhere else. _Or that the smugglers hadn’t led them on the wrong trail.

Or that Data wasn’t already done for.

No, he couldn’t be like that. He hadn’t been in to see Troi (and had, actually, been pretty effective in avoiding her), but he already knew that that kind of pessimistic thinking would do nobody any good.

Riker’s eyes still bored into his skull as the shuttle was pulled into the freighter’s bay, but Geordi was already walking to the front of the shuttle to address his junior officers. Eight anxious pairs of eyes and a concerned one looked up at their chief engineer, and Geordi cleared his throat.

“We can’t be sure that he’s activated. He won’t have access to his combadge.” That had been last found on the Ferengi vessel as they quibbled over the gold and beryllium in it. “I need everyone to keep a good eye out. Commander Data might be fairly hard to miss when he’s intact, but …” Geordi’s voice went dry in his throat. He hadn’t even meant to bring up the possibility to the others, but he couldn’t make himself stop thinking about it. “Just keep a good eye out. Look in every container.”

The shuttle shuddered again as several systems disengaged at once. Commander Riker stepped out first and greeted the freighter captain with a grim determination. Not for the first time, Geordi was glad that he didn’t have to deal with things like niceties on a daily basis.

He stepped out beside Riker nonetheless, arms folded behind his back as he stared the captain down.

“I just – I don’t see how it could’ve – we scan them all as they come in, the cargo,” The captain eventually stuttered out. “But I suppose, if he were all synthetic in nature, then nothing would … immediately register, particularly if he’s registered as …”

“Spare parts.” Geordi finished for him.

“I suppose so. Yes.”

“And nothing that matched the profile of the smugglers we sent you?” Riker stepped in, but Geordi already knew the answer. Even _if _this captain recognized the smugglers, no self-respecting cargo freighter would admit to taking product from them. As Geordi suspected, the captain only firmly shook his head. “Then time is of the essence. Lead us to your cargo bay.”

The captain went first, with Riker following second, and Geordi determinedly following in third. The horde of engineering crew followed behind him obediently. As they walked, Geordi noted it was clear that this ship wasn’t made for comfort. The captain might be one of a dozen crew, and they were not living the lap of luxury.

The ship was _loud, _with engines constantly roaring from this or that, and there was nothing warm and familiar about the plain gray metal they walked on. What’s more, everything smelled somewhat _stale, _as if they’d been breathing air that hadn’t left the ship in ten years – which, given the outside of the freighter ship, might very well have been true.

It made him think of Data’s quarters. Geordi had been staying there for a week. Going back and forth to take care of Spot had proven to be a lot of hassle, and while Reg was good to take care of the furry demon for a day or two … Geordi had taken it as his responsibility. He knew it was stupid; Data wouldn’t care either way so long as the cat was fed. But it made him feel better.

Even if they were sparsely decorated, Data’s quarters were still comfortable. Geordi was getting to know them as well as his own. More importantly, _Data _was comfortable there, often lounging as casually as he could on his bed or on his couch. Geordi had fallen asleep on him there, once, snoozing restfully against Data’s chest.

That occasion had actually, _technically, _been the first time he’d stayed over at Data’s quarters. Geordi hadn’t meant to. He’d wanted to go get some work done, but Data had started to ramble on and on about … something. Geordi had tried to listen, he always _tried _to listen, but there was something faintly soporific about Data’s voice late at night. Before he could help himself, after every desperate attempt to keep his eyes open … he nodded off.

And Data hadn’t moved.

Geordi liked the memory. He just wished he didn’t think about it every time he walked into Data’s quarters.

The cargo bay of the freighter was, as Geordi expected, enormous.

Geordi was confident that there were cities smaller in size. Cargo containers, as long and tall as the shuttle that they’d flown in on, were stacked up on one another like so many dominoes. There were narrow pathways between them, small enough for Geordi to stretch his hands and touch either side. They went on and on, but the low, collective haze in the cargo bay meant that he couldn’t see the end of them.

Poor ventilation would do this, Geordi knew. Poor ventilation and constantly transferring cargo containers from starship to starship. Who even knew what they were breathing in? He’d have to go to Medical when he got back.

Standing in front of the cargo container maze, it was easy to be overwhelmed. Geordi _was _overwhelmed, even as the other engineering crewmembers lurched forward to their respective sectors. That noise and movement, at least, gave _some _respite for the sinister, smoggy quiet of the cargo bay. Riker was standing beside him. Geordi could feel his eyes.

He switched to another filter. And then another, until he hit upon just the right wavelength to look through the cargo containers.

Geordi reeled back in pain, squeezing his eyes shut. “_Aagh,” _he grunted, pushing his VISOR up and shoving the heels of his hands into his eyes. Riker was on him in a second.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

What had happened was that every damn cargo container had lit up like a Christmas tree, and it’d been blinding. There were just too many technological _things _in this cargo bay to keep track of any single one, which meant that he was going to do this manually. Or, at least, he’d have to _open _the cargo container and then do a quick scan.

Geordi waved Riker off. “Fine. Just tried taking a shortcut. Didn’t work.” He brought the VISOR down again and looked towards the first officer, and then his designated sector. “We should get started.”

Grim, Riker agreed and they both stepped forward.

Six hours passed of searching cargo containers. Geordi estimated that they got through one every five minutes. It wasn’t that physically difficult to open one, do a quick search of the major components, jot down _no Data _on a PADD, and move on. Mentally …

Mentally, Geordi was going through the motions. He knew that if he let himself get his hopes up with every container, he’d lose it by hour two. A looming thought had begun to emerge, a _what if he’s in none of them, Geordi, what do you do then, _but Geordi stomped that down, too.

Every hour, Riker stepped to the side to check in with the other engineering crewmembers. Geordi never had much hope. If they found Data, Geordi would be the first to know. Riker was just following protocol.

Fatigue, as well as a persistent cough, started to set in. There were too many containers, too much smog, and not enough hope to go off of. Geordi didn’t know how long he’d do this for. It’d take at least four days to go through all the containers, even with the away team working. In the end, Geordi supposed that it didn’t matter.

It wasn’t like he’d get any sleep, going back to Data’s quarters. He’d just lay in Data’s bed, Spot curled up on his chest, and think of Data: cold, alone, maybe even _scared, _or as scared as Data could synthesize, in some godforsaken storage container …

He had nightmares about this entire business, sure. Nightmares about Data being _ripped_ apart, about his memories being wiped, about Data pleading for mercy until the very end.

50 more crates. He could do 50 more crates. At five minutes per crate, that was 250 minutes, or a little more than four hours. Even if Riker went back to the ship, that would be fifty more crates than were investigated before. Fifty more chances.

And so they went on, and on, and on, and on, and on. They worked in silence. Geordi knew that didn’t suit Riker, but he was grateful that Riker didn’t try to press him on conversation. Talking seemed difficult and exhausting. If Geordi started to verbally itch the emotional scratch, then he was going to have a breakdown surrounded by scrap metal.

None of them were particularly pleasant places to be in. Most contained technological parts – some Geordi recognized, some were outside his purview. Some contained expensive-looking jewelry and crystals. Others contained fabrics and carpets, richly colored. Yet others contained something that could’ve been food.

Nothing even vaguely Data-shaped, nothing indicating any of Data’s unique core parts. 17 more crates were examined, finding nothing. Geordi’s uniform was dusty and rumpled; Riker’s hair had gone greasy and ruffled an hour ago. Another check-in passed, finding nothing.

Geordi felt hollow as he stood in front of the 34th crate of the 50 (and the 106th crate overall). Robotically, he started to input the access code before Riker put a hand on his wrist.

“Geordi, let me say this as your friend before you make me say it as your commander.”

_Don’t do this, Will, _Geordi begged internally. “I’m doing fine.”

“I know if I let you, you’ll work yourself the entire night and do this entire cargo bay. We should reconvene with the rest of the away team and head back to the ship.” The hand on his wrist moved up his forearm, eventually clasping his shoulder. “We’ll be able to get through a lot more in the morning.”

¤¤¤

Cold. Dark. Voices.

¤¤¤

Damn it, Riker was _right, _Geordi knew that Riker was right. But his finger was hovering over the last number of the code, and Geordi didn’t want to pull away. “One more, Will,” he requested, looking straight at the container. “One more and I’ll head back with you. I promise.”

Riker sighed and looked over his shoulder, at the entrance of the cargo bay, before he nodded. “One more.”

The last number was tapped in. The container partially opened for them, one panel sliding inward. Like they’d done 105 times before, Geordi raised his light and did a general sweep of the container.

A bunch of metal boxes piled high on one another, a small, makeshift box city within the container. Great. They weren’t neat about it, either. One of the boxes had broken open, scattering technological parts all over the floor. Geordi carefully stepped over them to investigate further, while Riker went to the open box and started to paw through it with a sensor.

He stepped again, placing one hand on the edge of the metal box, to peer around and see the obscured corner of the container.

Geordi was not an easily frightened person. It was hard to be, on the _Enterprise, _when the stuff they encountered on a daily basis was terrifying enough.

And yet, Geordi stumbled backward until he felt his back and head hit the hull of the shuttle painfully. A startled yell escaped him before he could help himself, causing Riker to come running with phaser drawn. When Riker approached the scene, the phaser dropped from his hand. Said hand quickly came to cover his mouth in shock, the other reaching for his combadge.

“Riker to away team. Report to my position.” Riker’s voice was barely more than a mumble, beneath his hand. “We found him.”

There, in front of them, was Data – or rather, parts of Data.

His head, attached to his torso, but that was it. Geordi could see from here that his back panels were open and exposed. Occasionally, a visible current shot through Data, blue and fleeting, that showed he wasn’t _fully _deactivated. There was some activity in there, somewhere. Geordi couldn’t say how much. It couldn’t be much.

He wanted to go find the freighter captain and wring his neck – to wring the neck of everyone across the galaxy who either had a hand in this or did nothing to stop it. But that wasn’t his job – hell, that wasn’t what Data needed right then. Data needed someone to put him back together, and Geordi could only hope that all his parts were located in this storage crate.

Geordi stepped forward to scan him. He was right. Some neural activity, not much. He couldn’t even say for certain if Data was aware of his surroundings . Either way, it was something out of a nightmare. _His _nightmare, specifically.

“Get every single box out of this container. We’re not disembarking until we’re sure we have every part,” Geordi barked to Riker. He approached Data and examined him. A large chunk of his circuitry had been ripped out the back. There was no flicker of movement in his face. Smooth, and slack, as if he were asleep.

He reached forward and rapped his knuckles against Data’s abdomen. “We got you, buddy,” he mumbled, for whatever good it did.


	2. Woken Up

They’d been able to collect most of Data’s parts. 98.7% of them, to be precise, and the major ones included. Anything that Geordi couldn’t find was easily made by the replicator. He’d spent a month doing that particular project with Data, coding most of his simple parts into the replicator. Complex parts (like the positronic brain, for example) was borderline impossible to fully replace.

That was the month before they got together. Geordi figured there had to be some connection. Many nights spent together in Engineering, removing a piece of Data at a time to analyze and pick it apart. They’d talked a lot. It was hard to pick Data apart without feeling the need to fill the silence.

He had reattached Data’s limbs a few hours after they’d gotten aboard. While it wouldn’t do much without activating his servos, Geordi hated seeing Data partially disassembled. He had taken to leaving Data’s panels open, though, as he worked on the android for the rest of the day and most of the night.

When Geordi had finally taken a break (at twelve hours of working on him, even Geordi knew he had to take a break), it was to debrief the Captain and the rest of the bridge crew. He managed to stumble his way through an explanation and an estimated timeline. It would take two weeks to put Data back together completely, _if _he devoted all of his time to it while on shift.

Riker and Picard had deliberated for five minutes, before granting Geordi’s unspoken request. He was allowed to devote all of his time to this. The _Enterprise _had disembarked from the freighter and was resuming its mission, but it would be a few weeks before they had completely returned to their course.

That was all he needed.

Well, in the grand scheme of things. Right now, Geordi also needed sleep.

He decided to take one last trip to Engineering. While he slept, some of the more preliminary tasks would be left to one of the other engineering crew. Geordi saved the major Data-related operations for himself, but he trusted his team. It was the only way that this would get done.

The walk from the conference room to the engineering bay seemed so _far. _Geordi was stumbling, occasionally needing to brace himself against the wall for balance. It had been a long day and he pushed himself too hard.

Nevertheless, he made it. Geordi had set up a miniature workshop in the corner of the laboratory. The terminal was open, a toolbox was set up. He stood in front of Data. Although standing, his face and body were still slack and relaxed. He could have been asleep. Geordi had intentionally put his systems into stasis – even if they _did _reattach the right wires together, he wouldn’t wake up. Even if it was senselessly human, Geordi figured the guy could use some rest.

“Crewman,” Geordi greeted as the man stepped beside him. Crewman Daniels, a good guy who treated everyone (including Data) well. That, along with sheer technical skill, had been an important factor when Geordi chose him. Although nobody was outwardly cruel to Data on the _Enterprise, _Geordi chose to pick someone who thought of Data like a person – not like an exceptionally advanced android. “I’m heading out for the night. You have a plan for the shift?”

Daniels nodded, but there was some hesitation on his face.

“Spit it out, Daniels.”

“I’ll be working on his servos, sir, but I was wondering if I could take some of his systems off stasis when I do it. I’ll need to see if he has his full range of motion, you see, and it’ll be easier if I don’t have to move his limbs myself. It’ll just be reflexes, sir. No conscious movement.”

Geordi had to consider that. In normal circumstances, no way in hell. Data’s systems were intricate and hard to manipulate for all but the most experienced (_ahem) _engineers. As his neural pathways grew more advanced, so did the expertise required to fix him.

But this wasn’t life or death, and Geordi trusted Daniels. He was tired and just wanted to fix this, to fix _Data, _as quickly as possible. Geordi eventually nodded, placing his hands on his hips. “Alright. But just his kinetic systems. I don’t want him waking up in the middle of all this.”

Daniels nodded. “Yes, sir. Get some rest.”

Geordi flashed a grin. He was the superior officer here, but he still mumbled a sarcastic ‘aye sir’ and exited Engineering for Data’s quarters. If it felt strange to sleep there with Data gone, it was positively _eerie _to sleep with there with Data just a few decks away. Regardless, as he walked in, Spot was the same as normal. Sitting on the dining table (not supposed to), tail flicking from side to side (missed you too, buddy), and, as Geordi approached, hissing in retaliation.

“I’m getting you your dinner, calm down,” Geordi complained as he went to the replicator. He’d forgotten to contact Barclay to give Spot her dinner, so he understood her anger more than normal. The dish was placed on the ground and Spot trotted over obediently. He gently prodded her shoulder with his foot. “Don’t _eat _too fast, you’re going to make yourself sick.”

Domestic duty done, Geordi went to collapse on Data’s bed. It was unmade from this morning. He’d have to make it before Data returned. Data wouldn’t mind, of course, but Geordi didn’t want him to come home to find his quarters less than perfect. “Going to join me, furball?”

Rolling over onto his side, Geordi found himself mesmerized by Spot’s evening ritual.

She was sitting a few feet from the door, watching it intently. At Geordi’s voice, her tail flicked once. Otherwise, her gaze was intense as she waited for her master to come home, as obedient as any canine.

It broke Geordi’s heart every night. “You know,” he commented to the cat, “I found your dad today.” No response, as expected. “He’s a little, uh, out of sorts. But I’m going to fix him, and then I’ll make sure he gets back here for you. I’m sure he’s missed you a lot. But he’s not going to come back tonight.”

He didn’t expect his words to persuade Spot, anyway. Geordi ordered the light to turn off and settled back in the bed, letting his head in his pillow.

And, as always, he felt the bed dip down with the comforting weight of a lonely cat. Spot curled up carefully against his side, and Geordi casually wrapped his arm around her. He heard a quiet purr.

_It’s okay, _Geordi told himself. _You know where he is. You know how to repair him. You just need time. _

Even if that didn’t do much to calm his anxiety, Geordi shut his eyes. Soon, his biological need for sleep overwhelmed his emotional need to have a high-functioning anxiety attack. He could try to soothe himself all he wanted in the morning.

¤¤¤

Move. Warm. Hand. Tool. Tool take apart pick pick scrape please don’t no don’t touch me please don’t **_I said don’t touch me! _**

¤¤¤

“Lieutenant La Forge here,” Geordi was mumbling into his combadge before he was even fully awake. The combadge chirp was seared into his brain after being called in the middle of the night a half-hundred times. He sat up in the dark and held the badge in his hand drowsily. “What’s the matter?”

“Sir, you have to come down to Engineering.” Ensign Mel? “There’s an emergency.”

Geordi was up. Thankfully, he hadn’t even changed out of his uniform before he’d fallen asleep on the bed. It took him ten seconds before he was out in the main corridor, breaking into a light jog. “I’m on my way. What happened?”

“It’s Commander Data. He’s woken up, and he’s – he’s lashing out, sir. I can’t describe it, but Dr. Crusher is here for Crewman Daniels.”

He disengaged the combadge and swore loudly. Daniels had fucked up bringing Data’s systems online. They were _delicate. _It wasn’t hard to create a synergistic effect between them: one online system activated another, and those two activated four, and those four activated eight.

Not only was he concerned for Daniels’ safety, he was also concerned for Data. He was in no state to be ‘lashing out’, not with half of his panels open with loose circuitry everywhere. Data could ruin the work they’d done over the past twelve hours if they weren’t careful.

Geordi burst into Engineering at a light jog, coming into bedlam.

Dr. Crusher was crouched over Crewman Daniels. At first, Geordi couldn’t see where he was hurt, before … no, his wrist definitely wasn’t meant to turn that way. “Geordi,” Crusher called out to him, before she raised her arm to point.

Data had situated himself in the corner of Engineering. It wasn’t hard to see how he’d gotten there – he’d left behind a trail of biomechanical lubricant and spare parts. Standing there, Geordi could see his entire frame shake with the effort of keeping himself upright. He knew it wasn’t, couldn’t possibly be, but it looked like Data was _trembling. _His eyes were blank, staring straight forward – blindly staring.

“He hasn’t got his optical or aural systems back online, sir,” Daniels gritted through the pain. “And he – I touched him and he – he moved so fast, I didn’t have time to move, and he got the – the nanodriver I was using …”

Daniels trailed off, but Geordi could see what he meant. Data’s hands were loosely at his sides, but Geordi could see. Daniels’ nanodriver was impaled through Data’s forearm, still leaking fluid onto the floor.

This was his fault. He should’ve known Daniels wasn’t familiar enough with Data’s systems. Hell, the only person that _was _familiar enough with his systems was Geordi, and why the hell did he _need _to go to bed, anyway? He could’ve been fine for just another few hours, and then gotten to sleep in the morning. They had all the time in the world, but Geordi had been impatient. _Selfish. _

Geordi stepped forwards towards Data. He wanted to reach out, to call out his name, but it would be useless. “Geordi,” Crusher called out behind him. “Be careful.’

_Always careful, doctor, when am I ever not careful? _ Data was still shaking in front of him, just a few feet away. He looked like some sort of cornered animal, and Geordi _hated _that. He _hated _anything that gave the impression Data was less than a fully coherent, comprehending human being.

Now fully in front of Data, Geordi reached out. His fingertips brushed along Data’s, and the reaction was sudden. Data’s hand shot backward as if hit by a bullet. It slammed against the metal wall of Engineering, leaving a sizable dent in it. The clang from it echoed around the small room. “Hell, Data, how am I supposed to help you if you don’t meet me halfway?”

If his optical and aural systems were off, Geordi was almost positive he couldn’t talk, either. That didn’t help issues. Daniels grunted in pain behind him as Crusher tended to his wrist, and then offered help: “If we give him a really good shock with a phaser, it’ll overload his circuits and forcefully shut him down.”

“If I wanted your opinion, I would’ve asked for it, Daniels.” Oh, that was _nasty, _rude, but Geordi was firmly against any plan that had him damaging Data any further. “I can handle this.”

There was another, growing issue. Data didn’t look like he was breathing. Without his circulatory system cooling down his body, he could overheat in minutes with how frantically his systems were working.

He just had to show Data that it was _him. _That it was safe. He thought of how Data had yanked his hand away when he touched him – at least Data had _that _sensory system online, even if he couldn’t talk, see, or hear. Geordi was going to add _smell _into that list just for the hell of it.

He couldn’t imagine what Data was going through. Although he could maneuver himself pretty well on the Enterprise without it, he preferred keeping the VISOR on. To suddenly go from having almost the entire electromagnetic spectrum in his view to nothing was frustrating – and that was only one sense. 

The VISOR …

Geordi’s fingers reached up to his temples, carefully detaching the device. Everything went black, but the VISOR was in his hands.

“Alright, Data,” he whispered. “You only know one person in the entire universe who has a VISOR like this.”

Slowly, uncertainly, Geordi reached forward with it. He met Data’s hand. At first, he heard it slam back against the wall again (_he’d have to repair both the wall and hand later). _But then, as if probing it, Data’s hand took the VISOR. Data tugged at it lightly, examining the entire surface, and then dropped his hand. “Just like that, Data. Know where you are, now?” Geordi asked. He wasn’t sure if it worked, but he had to smile anyway.

Before he could move again, Data’s hand shot out to grip him by the forearm. It was tight, _tight, _and prevented Geordi from reattaching the VISOR right away. He wasn’t sure what Data was trying to convey by it, exactly, but it was definitely … something.

Geordi responded by raising his free arm and brushing it up and down Data’s side. It was slick with biomechanical lubricant, soaked through the uniform that they’d clothed him in. He hoped the action came off as the comforting gesture he intended it to be. “Alright, honey, I’ve got you,” Geordi continued.

Data dropped his forearm. With a whine of his hardware, he instead raised his arms and wrapped them around Geordi’s middle. At first, Geordi had a disturbing vision of squeezing until he popped, like a boa constrictor.

Then Geordi realized.

He was being hugged, an action only emphasized when Data rested his head on Geordi’s shoulder.

Physical affection had been a long overdue conversation between them, and one of great personal interest to Geordi. He knew that Data _liked _it; he often expressed that physical touch between them was a source of positive reinforcement. Data didn’t seek it out much on his own volition, and Geordi didn’t want to pressure Data into even casual affection, which led to an impasse. They were both getting better at it, but a hug in the middle of Engineering was new to both of them.

Then again, this entire situation was new to both of them.

Still blind, Geordi went to hug Data in return. He was met with resistance from the open panels on Data’s back – any sort of hug put Data at serious risk of messing up his hardware. Instead, Geordi kept his arms at his sides and settled his face against Data’s neck.

He could feel the nanodriver dragging along his own back as Data hugged him. Yeah, he had to get that out of Data’s forearm ASAP.

For now, though, he hoped it comforted Data somewhat. His body was still quaking with the effort of staying activated. He was much warmer than normal – too warm – Data was overheating quickly. Daniels had meant to turn _one _system on, not _several dozen _in Data’s body, and his active hardware just couldn’t handle it for long. If he overheated, he was at a serious risk for total systems failure – potentially ruining several systems that Geordi hadn’t even touched yet, like his memory or socialization protocols. He worked hard on those.

“Okay, Data. Let’s get you fixed.” Geordi backed away from him and reattached his VISOR. The world came back into colorful focus, including Data. His face was tense, and, focusing on a particular filter, Geordi saw that his entire interior was burning up from the effort.

He had to turn him off, but it was too late for that.

In the half-second it took for Geordi to step forward (to deactivate him, to lead him away, to do _something), _Data’s system gave out. Data became dead weight and fell forwards. Geordi wanted to catch him, but it wasn’t like he had any hope of being able to carry Data’s full weight regardless. Still, Geordi was able to guide him to the ground. That, at least, saved him from denting (and being dented by) the metal again.

The conflict was over. Geordi looked down at his partner (overheated and deactivated) on the ground, before raising his gaze to Crusher and Daniels. They returned it, silent and shocked.

This was just a setback. A twelve-hour (and then some, because he hadn’t been working with a totally deactivated android who had probably just burnt out several of his parts) setback, but just a setback. Geordi had made a mistake in allowing someone else to repair Data, but he wouldn’t be making that mistake again.

First Step: Remove the nanodriver from Data’s forearm.

Second Step: Find out which parts were now unusable, remove, and replicate a a functioning copy.

Third Step: Repair Data’s own internal repair mechanisms, hook him up to an external power source, and hope that Data’s own systems would do some of the work for him, particularly with the more complex software.

The fourth, fifth, sixth, and on steps solidified perfectly in Geordi’s head. He knew what he had to do. He just needed time. Energy was negotiable if he had _time. _Geordi checked the clock. It was four hours before alpha shift was slated to begin. Geordi had gotten two hours of sleep.

It would have to do. “How are you doing, Daniels?” Geordi asked, walking over to the duo on the ground. Daniels winced, but his wrist was no longer askew.

“Fine, sir. I’m sorry for what happened. I knew I should have been more careful.”

“Don’t apologize. I shouldn’t have asked you to do this. Data’s systems are the most complex thing any of us are ever going to work on.” Geordi yawned and covered his mouth. He had had a moment of anger at Daniels, but he had to be realistic here. Nobody had expected this reaction. “I’m going to get him set up for the night.”

“Don’t you think you should go to bed, Lieutenant?” Dr. Crusher asked, rising to her feet. She had obviously come running from her quarters, too.

“I can’t just leave him on the floor like that, doctor. I’ll get some rest when I get him set back up, hook him up to an external power supply.” Geordi ignored the sharp look that the doctor gave him, instead feeling along Data’s exposed panel for his power input. It was going to be a long night, but it was something.

Dr. Crusher couldn’t argue with him, not with another patient standing close to her. “Just take care of yourself, Geordi,” she postulated seriously. With the advice given, Dr. Crusher put her hand on Crewman Daniels’ back and led him out of Engineering.

Even with the setback, Geordi was determined. Data was still in there, somewhere, and he needed him.

Geordi wasn’t about to disappoint.


	3. Remember

Five days passed before Geordi was ready to activate Data’s systems again.

Five days of barely leaving Engineering. Twice a day to go feed Spot, maybe collapse for an hour or so, before Geordi found himself waking up and stumbling back. His eyes were _killing _him, constantly burning and irritated. A long day of using the VISOR was enough to have him waking up with a headache the following morning, but after five days, Geordi had a constant stabbing pain in his temples.

It didn’t impede his progress. Data had repaired himself somewhat in his unconscious state, but the majority of the work had gone to Geordi. He was constantly elbow-deep in Data’s torso, fixing what he could and hoping that Data’s systems would figure out the rest.

He left Data entirely deactivated. He didn’t know what damage the forced deactivation had done to his systems, but he would figure it out when he was booted back up. Geordi had more important things to worry about, like making sure Data had functional use of his arms.

The entire time, Geordi talked to him.

“I know I probably should give them a crash course on you,” Geordi remarked conversationally, to nobody in particular. He knew he looked a little shabby. Five days of almost no-sleep would do that to a man. “Just, you know, basic repairs in case of an emergency. I don’t expect them to know everything about you. _I _don’t know everything about you.” A slow, steady _fzzt _came from the end of his soldering tool as he made corrections within Data’s body.

Times like these, it was almost peaceful between them. Most of the engineers usually found themselves elsewhere as Geordi worked on Data. Geordi didn’t mind that. They understood that the situation was much more personal for him than it was for them, and Geordi wasn’t in the mood to have a heart-to-heart with his coworkers about the emotional ramifications of rebuilding one’s partner.

“But then I think to myself, I don’t know if that’s an invasion of privacy? Having the others know how to basically repair you, I mean. I don’t know how I’d feel if Engineering had access to _my _medical history. Maybe I’ll ask Dr. Crusher if she’s willing to learn a few things?” That made Geordi chuckle to himself. “I know you’d appreciate that. Going to the doctor for a physical, like everyone else.”

“Did I hear my name?” Hand still awkwardly contorted in Data’s abdomen, Geordi turned around to see Dr. Crusher come in.

“Doctor,” Geordi greeted stiffly. He knew why she was there, and she knew _he _knew why she was there. He flinched as he heard the whirr of a tricorder going off by his ear. Dr. Crusher clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

“I’m going to take a gamble and say you _didn’t _obey my recommendation for eight hours of sleep last night, given what brain activity I’m seeing here. Geordi. You must be in pain.”

Geordi grumbled something indiscriminately about ‘yeah, well, you know’.

Dr. Crusher touched his back. “You have all the time in the world to do this, Geordi. You shouldn’t be running yourself ragged to do it. Take it easy, and slow, and I’m sure Data would appreciate that you didn’t overexert yourself when he’s back to normal.”

He’d heard the same thing, over and over, by nearly everyone who came to see him in Engineering. That he had _time. _That Data’s _life _wasn’t at risk. And yes, maybe it was true, but _also _–

“There’s something that nobody seems to get,” Geordi grumbled as he continued to work on him. “I know I’ve got time. I get that. But Data’s been through hell. I don’t know how sentient he was before he overheated, but he’s been aware of _something. _And I don’t want to give him another second of having to go through that.”

“But he’s deactivated now, Geordi. It’s as if he’s asleep.”

“Great. Then he can sleep enough for two.” Geordi let out a noise of complaint when the tool was taken from his hands, and he turned around to see Dr. Crusher holding it in her grasp.

Her face was solemn. “Don’t make me order you.”

While he might be able to get away with haggling Riker’s commands, Geordi knew he had little chance of swaying the chief medical officer. He sighed and closed Data’s rear panel. “Just let me sort out his self-repair protocols for the night, okay? It’ll take a minute on the terminal.”

Crusher watched with arms crossed as he went over to the panel.

Data’s self-repair protocols were a lot more robust than Geordi had originally anticipated. It wasn’t uncommon for Geordi to come in and find that Data, hooked up to an external power generator and still _technically _deactivated, had done ten hours worth of work on his own systems.

More surprisingly, the protocols often overstepped Geordi’s direction. Sure, Data would fix the thing that Geordi had directed him to, but he’d also fix six or seven or two dozen other things.

Geordi would be more worried if it wasn’t Data fixing his own body. Data knew what he was doing.

It was comforting to think that, despite Data being half torn apart and Geordi unable to communicate with him, they were still a pretty good team. The directions were tapped into the terminal perfectly, and then Geordi faced the doctor with arms raised in surrender.

“Don’t say I’m not a man of my word. I’m coming.” He stepped away from the terminal, passing Data to go to the door. As he did so, he let his hand brush against the android’s hip. Only feeling somewhat like a crazy person, he murmured, “Night, honey.”

He was walked to his quarters, only faintly feeling like a prisoner. Everyone’s hearts were in the right place. Geordi knew he pushed himself too hard, past the point of exhaustion. Even Data had commented on it once or twice or _two thousand separate occasions of hearing ‘You are a biological life form, Geordi. You require sleep in ways that I do not. Allow me to guide you to your quarters.’ _His heart was in the right place, but it was infuriating that his body was incapable of doing what his mind _screamed _at him to do.

“Spot, get off the _table,” _Geordi complained as the door slid shut behind him. Spot returned with an unwelcome hiss. He nevertheless placed Spot’s full food bowl on the ground and the cat was satiated. “Your dad’s pretty spectacular, you know, I’m worried about some of his more advanced programming. Overheating himself like that …” He pressed his lips and blew a raspberry. “I guess we’ll see what damage he caused to his systems when I wake him up tomorrow.”

Spot ate, driven and uncaring.

“Maybe I can bring you to Engineering? I think he’d like that. We’ll see. You’d have to _behave._” Geordi gestured towards the feline with one finger. “I can’t have you running loose around Engineering. You’d destroy the entire ship.” Sighing, Geordi lowered his head. “Talking to a cat, still. I’m going crazy.” He returned towards the bed, curling up on it. “You wouldn’t behave, anyway.”

When Spot finished her food, she went to her usual evening spot to watch the door. Geordi didn’t let himself linger and watch her like he usually did. Instead, he reached for his VISOR and detached it.

As soon as he did, the stabbing pain in his temples stopped. He sighed in relief and placed it on the nearby pillow. _Note to self – take off your VISOR before you go to bed. _

Rubbing at his temples, he felt Spot settle against his side again. Geordi reached down to pet her listlessly.

“Night, Spot,” Geordi mumbled.

¤¤¤

Systems functioning within normal parameters. _Online. _

¤¤¤

His door kept chiming.

Geordi didn’t know what time it was, yet, but his body told him that it was _far, far _too early. Granted, given the lack of sleep he’d gotten over the past few days anyway, Geordi didn’t think he’d trust what his internal clock told him. Spot was nevertheless hiding under the bed as the door kept chiming with news of a visitor.

He stretched over for his VISOR and re-attached it, the entire world coming into jerky focus. “Yeah?” Geordi called out, voice rough with sleep. Going over to the door, he saw none other than – “Captain.”

That was unnerving. Fear curled into Geordi’s veins. Had Data lashed out again? Had someone accidentally re-activated his systems? Had something _happened? _The Captain looked exhausted, but not tense. “I apologize for waking you, Lieutenant,” he started, already starting back down the hallway. Geordi followed behind him. “There’s been a situation, and I’d like your professional input.”

“Hm. Sorry, what –w hat time – “ Geordi mumbled, still trying to sort himself together. Thirty seconds ago, he’d been asleep.

If he didn’t know any better, Geordi could’ve sworn that the Captain quirked a smile. “About two hours into alpha shift.”

_Fuck. _Geordi knew he should’ve set an alarm. Being on-shift and off-shift wasn’t as binary as it normally was, these days. Geordi’s every waking hour was spent taking care of Data. So, it wasn’t like he was _late, _but he’d also burned at least two valuable hours. He pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. He had to change, too.

When he looked up again, the smile had disappeared from Picard’s face. It had been displaced by a worried frown. “Tell me the situation.”

“During the night, Data re-activated himself. He came back online.”

That polymer-coated _motherfucker _and his _stupid self-repair programming, _that was supposed to wait until the morning_. _Geordi had wanted to do the honors himself, to make sure that everything went smoothly, but apparently he’d been a little late for that. “Please don’t tell me he’s back at his workstation.”

“No. No, though he has offered as much.” Picard sucked in his lip for a moment, and that was when Geordi knew it was bad. “Geordi, he … he can’t seem to recall anything.” 

“Recall?”

“Oh, he’s downloaded all the Starfleet manuals and procedures already. I dare say that he’d be ready to go back to his station, if necessary. But personal details? _Memories? _I had to tell him what his name was.”

Geordi’s heart sank as he considered it. Sure, it was a technical possibility, but he’d been focusing on repairing Data _physically. _This was different, and more difficult. Geordi just couldn’t catch a break. “And your question to me is … can I fix it?”

“That is, yes. He’s able to perform his job, but we both realize that it isn’t exactly an ideal situation.”

He ran his hands across his neck and let out a soft whine as he thought. “_Uhhh. _Data kept a neural link hooked up with the shipboard computer. Kept all of his da – kept all of his information uploaded there. As a backup. It won’t be easy to sort out his filing system on it, but I’ve got it, Captain.”

And he would get it. Sure, it’d take more time. But damn that, Geordi would be willing to devote the rest of his life to fixing Data if he had to – and that realization, the intensity of that emotion, scared him a little. _Never had that for anyone else before, _Geordi considered. _Morbid. You’re just being dramatic, Geordi. _

Dramatic or not, they entered Engineering. Data was still connected to the external power source and turned around to face them blankly.

There was no spark of recognition in Data’s eyes, no deliberate softening of the face (Data had once expressed to him everything that he did to make him seem more human in conversation, and it was a _lot), _no wave of greeting . He was silent.

A minor setback. It was still good to see him. Geordi approached him, looking him up and down. “Hey. Good to see you back with us, Data. Are all of your systems running?” He couldn’t keep the dumb grin off his face.

Still Data. Even if there was still work to be done, Geordi had his boyfriend looking at him and talking to him.

“That is correct.”

“Then I’m going to unplug you from the external power source. That’ll give you a little more freedom to walk around.” 

Picard returned to his duties as Geordi went to Data’s back. With some minor fiddling, he soon separated the cable. There. Data had free movement. He knew Data preferred that, for obvious reasons.

Once, on an away mission, Data’s systems had gotten damaged and he’d just hadn’t been able to produce enough power on his own to keep himself upright. As terrifying as seeing the light behind his eyes flicker was, Geordi had been especially worried that Data was going to pace right through the Engineering floor, given how uncomfortable he was being tethered to a power source.

Now, he did nothing. He did not even flinch.

“Want to walk around a little? Stretch your legs?”

“They are appropriately limber, if necessary.” Data spoke in a consistent monotone.

Geordi tilted his head to the ground. He wasn’t going to discount this as a major milestone, but he wished he could see a little more of Data in him. He patted his shoulder nevertheless. _Alive is better than dead. Amnesiac is better than dead. _“Great. I’m going to open your cranial casing and see what I’m working with. That okay with you?”

Data regarded him blankly.

“’Yes’ or ‘no’, Data.”

“Yes.”

Deeply concerned nevertheless, Geordi went behind Data and popped open the back of his head. Everything seemed normal enough, but he’d have to spend a few hours at this to see what had failed, specifically. Then it’d be another few hours of scouring the shipboard computer to see where Data had stored his memories. And then, _then, _who-knew-how-long of transmitting all those memories back to Data’s head.

It was going to be a long day in Engineering, but this was his second home.

And he was going to go _crazy _if he didn’t talk to Data, at least a little bit. Geordi didn’t figure that Data would be responsive, but he _hadn’t _been for days, now. Him being activated wasn’t going to make much of a difference.

“I was debating on bringing Spot over,” Geordi remarked casually as he picked up a tool, spinning it around in his hands before he got to work. “She’s really been going crazy without you, and I don’t think she’s too happy about me as a substitute. But she’s never been great about being in the corridors, _and _I don’t want to think about the trouble she could get to in Engineering. _Ah. _Sorry, that was your ocular units. Are you seeing okay? Hearing? Feeling?”

“I am functioning within normal parameters.”

“Great. Anyway. Maybe when I get you a little bit more together, we’ll go over back to your quarters. No reason for you to stay in Engineering when you don’t have to. I’ve been staying there while you’ve been away. Don’t worry, I’ve been making sure to keep it as clean as you like it.” Geordi’s mind flashed back to the messy bed – in his _defense, _he hadn’t actually been given a lot of warning before being summoned here. “For the most part.”

Quiet, again. Somehow, this felt sadder. Geordi continued picking around his brain in thought.

“It’ll be good to have you back to normal, Data. I ‘m not going to completely fall to pieces in front of you, but I’ve _missed _you.” Geordi’s voice was emphatic. “And I’ve been worrying about you.” Near constantly. Definitely more than what was healthy. When he’d first told Troi about their relationship, she had recommended that Geordi study on emotionally managing with a Starfleet partner – most specifically, the danger and uncertainty that came with it.

Geordi had scoffed at her. He was _also _Starfleet, thank you very much, and they were on the same ship. It was a little different.

Now, he thought that he might take her up on her offer. Later, when Data was okay and Geordi had rested properly.

Data’s arm spasmed upward, and Geordi winced. “_Sorry. _I’m better at this, usually, but you’re … “ _Kind of tall, and it’s hard for me to reach your cranial unit when I am not ‘kind of tall’. _“Would you mind sitting down?”

Nothing. No movement, either.

“Yes or no, Data.”

“No.”

“No you would not mind, or no you won’t sit down?”

Nothing. Geordi stuffed his frustration deep down into him and brought Data a chair. Data sat down obediently, That was a lot better. Now, Geordi could lean over him and work out where the problem was.

At least two hours passed in that way. Geordi continued to ramble aimlessly, sometimes chatting about what he was doing, sometimes chatting about his personal life, sometimes posing questions to Data that Data never answered. He stopped his work on Data specifically and went to sit in front of one of the terminal stations.

It was time to sort out Data’s needlessly complex and genius organizational system for his memories.

The moment he sat down, his stomach decided to join in the conversation. The growl was loud enough to make Geordi wince.

Data was staring at him, now. Great. That had been loud enough for Data, who had been staring straight ahead without so much as acknowledging him for _hours, _to take notice. He felt his face grow warm as he started his work on the terminal.

“What was that, Lieutenant La Forge?”

Even better. Geordi paused in his tapping to look up at Data. “Uh, just haven’t eaten for a while. Stomach’s complaining at me over it. Don’t worry.”

“Would you not rather take a break and consume a meal?”

“Kind of a complicated question, Data.” Usually, he’d keep this all internal – but what was the harm, now? “Biologically? Yeah, of course I do. I’m hungry. I’d also like to take a nap and sit on a nice beach, somewhere. But,” he continued, “I know if I do any of those things, I’m _not _going to relax while I do them and I’m going to _hate _myself later for not spending every free second I have fixing you. So this is the best outcome.”

“I do not believe that is rational.”

“Yeah, well. What do you know?”

“Much.” Data gave in response. “But less than normal, especially in relation to my memory. I have lost a significant portion of it.”

Geordi’s ears perked up. “Only a significant portion?”

“Yes. That significant portion is 100%.”

He loved the guy. He _did. _He’d found his soulmate in circuitry and servos. But sometimes, he could just _scream. _“Well,” Geordi continued, strained. “I’m sure the Captain’s told you some things about yourself.”

“Yes. He has allowed me to download information concerning this starship and its crew, as well as his captain’s logs since the start of the mission.” _That _was helpful, at least. It wasn’t ideal – those weren’t his memories, just second-hand accounts, but at least Geordi wouldn’t have to sit down and explain what his name was. “It has clarified many things, but not at all.”

“Oh?” Geordi was willing to encourage this conversation, if only because he had felt exceptionally lonely the past few hours. “I can clarify a couple more things. I don’t know everything about you, but I can try.”

Data nodded from his spot on the chair. “I am an android.”

“You got it, buddy.”

“However, I have engaged in many activities that are unlikely for an android to do. I have organized a birthday party. I have a pet animal. I have participated in a poetry symposium _and _a painting class.”

“Captain never mentioned anywhere that what you really want, more than anything in the world, is to act more human?”

“Yes. But … I did not understand that.” Data corrected himself. “I do not understand that. Why would I have such a futile goal? I cannot grow a biological basis for myself, ever.”

“No, but human – personhood – whatever you want to call it. It’s more than just your specific parts.” By the look on Data’s face, he wasn’t convinced. “Okay. Say I got in some sort of horrific accident tomorrow, Data. They had to replace everything from – from my head down with robotic parts. Would you say that I was any less human?”

“No, of course not. Nothing has changed about you from a fundamental perspective.”

“Right. And, for example, some humans are different than others. Some are less emotional. I’ve never seen the Captain cry or jump for joy or choke someone out – would you say _he’s _less human?”

“Of course not.”

“Then maybe it doesn’t have anything to do with biology or birth, Data.” Geordi looked up from the computer momentarily. “Maybe it just has to do with how you think and how you feel.”

“But I cannot,” Data argued, “I cannot feel.”

This was an argument that he had had a dozen times with Data before. They did not fight much - so far as Data ever truly ‘fought’. He had worried, reasonably so, that their relationship would somehow affect their friendship. If they broke up, and Data didn’t consider himself his friend anymore …

He’d be a mess.

But so far, it had flourished, and Geordi found himself thinking of that contingency less and less.

Even so. He didn’t want to have this discussion with Data today.

“You got me there,” Geordi simply responded, and went silent.

Data didn’t respond for some time, at least several hours. Geordi, usually extremely talkative, found that he didn’t have anything to say. He was steadily growing more frustrated with the shipboard computer. Data might be able to find anything he wanted in a _second, _but that didn’t mean _actual goddamn human beings could find files that were just named a sequence of 30 numbers, Data. _He was going to have to sit down with Data, later, when everything was back to normal.

At some point, his stomach did start becoming more of a distraction than could strictly be ignored. He disappeared to eat and change his uniform, and when he returned, he spotted Data sitting at the terminal.

“What are you doing?” Geordi asked, curious.

Data turned to watch him. “I was attempting to find the shipboard storage of my memory on my own. I predicted that it would be easier for me to understand my own filing system than you.”

Oh. That was a good idea. Geordi had gotten so used to being the only one to fixing things, but Data _could _help, now. Geordi sat beside him close, brushing against his shoulder as he inspected the terminal. “Have you made much progress?”

“They …” Data squinted at the terminal. “Seem to have some correspondence to information located in my memory files.”

“So no.”

“Correct.”

It was just going to have to be an issue they threw time at, nothing more. Geordi yawned and shifted closer to Data. “Alright. Two pairs of eyes are better than one. Let’s start sorting, okay?”

Data looked down at the chief engineer, hovering just an inch away from his shoulder. If Geordi didn’t know any better, he’d say that Data was staring.

“Okay.” Data eventually broke his gaze away to stare at the screen again.

They worked like that for the rest of the day, occasionally comparing notes and perceptions to one another. Eventually, it got late. Geordi found himself yawning constantly, to the point where Data had politely indicated to him that he was becoming more of a distraction than help. Geordi wasn’t sure whether he was just saying that because he wanted him to go to bed, but he eventually took the hint – after receiving a promise from Data that he would work on it throughout the night.

Geordi didn’t react as he returned to his quarters and saw Spot on the table, didn’t even flinch as he scratched Spot’s head and received an angry swat for his trouble. As Spot ate, Geordi collapsed onto the bed.

No. No, he was going to be _smart _about this.

He got up and took a sonic shower. He went to the outfit replicator and received his uniform neatly folded. It was placed on the nightstand by Data’s bed. By the time Geordi had fully prepared himself, Spot had resumed her nightly ritual by the door.

“I know I keep saying this, buddy,” Geordi promised as he detached his VISOR, “But _soon.” _

Spot did not, apparently, heed his words much. She stayed by the door much longer than usual, and Geordi had already mostly nodded off by the time he felt her climb onto the bed.


	4. Also Beautiful

¤¤¤

He felt … lonely.

¤¤¤

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Geordi whined into his pillow as he heard someone request entrance into his quarters. “Can’t I just go one night? _Please?” _He kept his head secured against the pillow, hoping that whoever it was – _whatever _the situation was – it would just go away.

It did not. Geordi grunted. He reached for his VISOR and attached it, this time checking the time – _middle of the night, thank you very much _– before reaching for his new uniform. “I’m coming!” He called out to the mysterious visitor. Mercifully, the tone stopped.

Geordi approached the door and, in front of him, stood Data.

“Hi.” He greeted dumbly for a second, before the situation clicked. _Data’s left Engineering. Oh no. _“What’s – what’s going on, is something the matter?”

“I have located my memories.”

Suddenly, it no longer mattered that he’d been woken up in the middle of the night. It no longer mattered that Data’s quarters were a small mess behind him. Being tired and exhausted no longer mattered, because now, Data could move onto the next step. “That’s – that’s great, Data. Let’s go back to Engineering and –“

There was a loud _meow! _And a shuffle of paws behind him.

Spot was purring, loudly, the perfect angel of a cat. She weaved in between Data’s legs, her tail curling on the outside of his uniform. Data bent down to pick her up and held her in front of his face. Lower legs dangling, Spot continued to purr at being held. “You must be Spot,” Data addressed directly.

“Yeah. She’s missed you a lot.”

Data shifted to hold her, dragging his hand across her back. “I am unable to say for certain whether I have missed her. However, may she come with us to Engineering? She seems to appreciate my company.”

“Not a chance. She’s going to get loose and get into _something. _It’s safer for her, here.”

He continued to pet Spot, unwilling to let her down.

“We’ll be back as soon as your memories have been uploaded, Data. It won’t be long.”

Data considered this, before stepping into his quarters. Spot was placed gently down onto the floor, where she immediately resumed to weave herself between Data’s legs. “I will return soon, Spot,” Data promised, but that didn’t prevent her from attempting to escape through the front door when Data stepped out again. Geordi raised his shoe to gently urge her inside, and eventually, the door shut in her face.

He’d feel guilty later.

Together, they walked back to Engineering and Data settled himself in his chair. “I apologize for waking you in the middle of the night,” he admitted finally as Geordi sat at the terminal.

And, there they were. A total back-up of Data’s memories.

_I love you, Data. _Geordi found himself thinking. Everything was there. They just had to be transferred into Data’s mind. He stood up from his spot to find the connector. “I’m not complaining. I want you back to normal as soon as possible. But, if you don’t mind me asking, why _did _you come get me?”

He opened up the back of Data’s head, pressing the connection port into his brain. Data looked straight ahead. “The alternative was waiting here until morning. I need assistance to set up the transfer.”

Geordi had to grant him that. Looking around Engineering, he had to admit that it was … well, dark and quiet. He was only surprised that it would bother _Data. _

Going back to the terminal, Geordi started the memory transfer.

It was going to take a while. A long while of just … sitting, and Geordi was already exhausted. He propped his head up on his hand to watch the terminal tick along. “Let me know if anything – “ He broke off into a yawn. “Hurts.”

“I cannot feel pain.”

“If anything feels wrong, then.” Geordi yawned and rested his eyes at the terminal. _Don’t fall asleep, _he told himself. _You’re going to fall asleep and fall out of your chair, and it’s going to look stupid in front of your boyfriend. _

He didn’t expect Data to speak. “Lieutenant La Forge,” Data asked curiously. “What is your relationship to me? In reviewing the Captain’s log, we are mentioned in tandem on nine hundred and four separate occasions, moreso than anyone else on this ship.”

Oh. Geordi considered refusing to answer the question, because Data would be finding out soon enough. He decided against it. “We’re partners, Data,” he mumbled, eyes still half-shut as he leaned against his palm.

“Professional partners?”

“No. Well. Yes.” Geordi yawned and cracked his eyes open a little more. “You’re my boyfriend, Data.”

“Oh.” Impossible to tell whether it was surprise, disappointment, or neither in Data’s voice. Geordi didn’t think on it too much. Instead, he closed his eyes against his palm again. “You are tired, Lieutenant La Forge. The file transfer is commencing, I … it would be fine, if you were to return to my quarters to sleep.”

“No, no. Not gonna leave you alone here in the middle of the night.”

“You are tired.”

“I might just …” Geordi looked around. There was a bench situated against the wall. It wasn’t long enough for him to sit down entirely, but he could at least make himself somewhat comfortable. “Just going to rest my eyes for a few hours, okay? You wake me up if you need me.”

Data watched him as Geordi retreated to the bench. Awkwardly tucking himself against it, Geordi pressed his knees against his chest. His back was going to hurt a lot in the morning, not to mention his eyes.

“Thank you,” he heard Data murmur. “For repairing me.”

“Don’t mention it.” And there, curled up against the bench, Geordi La Forge fell asleep.

¤¤¤

_Geordi._

The transfer completed without much ceremony. Data had access to his past few years of life – that was, the entirety of his life. He reviewed the footage recorded by his ocular units for the past few days to fill in the short gaps.

Geordi had been there constantly, at constant detriment to his own health. He had pulled Data back together again from literal scraps. Data inspected his own systems. Most of it was back to normal, minus a few changes here and there.

He separated the port on the back of his head and stood from his chair. Geordi was sleeping peacefully on the bench, as he had been for the past four hours, fifteen minutes, and six seconds. It would be uncomfortable for him, especially considering his VISOR was still attached.

That wouldn’t do.

Data walked over to Geordi and picked him up easily in his arms. Geordi did not do so much as stir, even as Data exited Engineering with Geordi in his arms.

He went directly to his own quarters. Perhaps Geordi’s would have been more appropriate, but he recalled that he had last found Geordi in his own. Thinking of Geordi staying in his own quarters for several weeks was stimulating, in some way. He would have to think of that further at a later date.

Spot cried again when Data entered his quarters. “Spot,” he advised in a voice no louder than a whisper. “Please be quiet. Geordi is sleeping.”

Spot obeyed, even as Data placed Geordi on his bed. He delicately tucked the man’s limbs underneath the blankets, before removing his VISOR. Tomorrow, he would alert the Captain and the rest of the bridge crew. Now, it was the middle of the night and nobody was in danger. Geordi deserved to rest.

Data’s fingers trailed across the edge of Geordi’s face, down to the end of his jaw.

_Beautiful. _

He finally picked up Spot and cradled her in his arms, even as she tried to swat at his chin.

_Also beautiful. _

Data was not going to sleep. He was, however, going to lay down with his boyfriend. Climbing into the bed, Data moved forward until his front was against Geordi’s back. He securely wrapped one arm around the chief engineer’s stomach. The movement made Geordi stir somewhat, but did not make him wake.

He was aware of what had happened to him. It was difficult not to think of it, to relive it in his own mind. Being taken apart. Being treated like no more than spare equipment. Being closed into a dark box, en route to place unknown, because he had been sold like so many _objects. _

They were unkind. Deeply, deeply unkind.

Thankfully, Geordi was not. His arm tightened fractionally around Geordi’s torso, causing Geordi to, half-asleep, push up against him. Geordi had often warned him of treating him like the ‘standard for humanity’ – individually, humans were quite flawed and capable of inflicting great harm.

Data made every attempt not to idolize Geordi, or mimic his behavior after him. But in this respect, in the respect of sheer kindness, Data did not see the harm in it.

He shut his eyes, but he did not sleep.

¤¤¤


	5. The Epilogue

“You’re going to get Spot’s hair in that positronic brain you talk about so much,” Geordi criticized. It was muffled as he held his nanodriver in his teeth. The back of Data’s cranium was opened.

He was making minute repairs. Data had been repaired 99.54%, up from 99.2% that Geordi had finished up last night. Geordi had resumed his regular duties as a result, shifting his minor repairs as a nighttime activity between them.

Data was stroking Spot on his lap nevertheless, but at least he had stopped _cradling _the feline while Geordi was _two inches _from his head. “Would that cause me harm, Geordi?”

“_No. _But I don’t want to get in the habit of having to taking compressed air to your sensitive parts.” The nanodriver was out of his mouth, as he moved a wire a half-millimeter to the right. Under his touch, Data shivered. “Better?”

“Processing speed up 1.04 milliseconds. Thank you, Geordi.”

He shut Data’s brain up and fixed his hair. They were on their bed. Initially, they had performed repairs at the dining table, but it felt more comfortable this way. Less like Data was being taken care of by an engineer, more like Data was being taken care of by his boyfriend.

Spot wriggled out of Data’s arms to go over towards Geordi, rubbing her cheek against the sharp edge of the nanodriver. They had an unsteady truce going. Data had informed him that he had negotiated one with her, and Geordi was only halfway certain that he wasn’t making a joke. He placed the nanodriver to the side and laid down on his back, yawning out. Data’s repairs took a half hour, maybe an hour out of his day, now. He was back to sleeping and eating regularly, something that made the bridge crew breathe out a sigh of relief.

“Your VISOR, Geordi?” Data reminded him patiently. Geordi made a face.

His boyfriend leaned down to gently take it from his eyes. Data was being smart about it, Geordi knew, because he still forgot once in a while and it hurt like hell in the morning. And, if Geordi was being honest, his last image being Data’s face for the night wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

A warm weight settled near and partially on him. Data was laying down with him, one arm thrown across his chest comfortably. Spot found her place against Data’s back – Geordi’s hypothesis was that she enjoyed the mild vibrations coming from Geordi’s torso.

“How’re you feeling?” Geordi asked quietly. They’d been alone in Data’s quarters for the past three hours, ever since Geordi had gotten off shift. Yet, he spoke as if they’d just gotten a moment alone.

Data seemed to consider the question. Geordi estimated it was about 50/50 whether he’d get Data’s ‘I do not feel, Geordi’ response, which meant that he wasn’t doing well.

It affected him. Nobody else would be able to tell, Geordi was confident. There was nothing noticeable about his productivity, his demeanor, his recollection of the incident. Just yesterday, they’d all sat in the conference room as Data replayed a portion of his disassembly, to help identify one of the individuals who’d initially taken him.

Geordi had had to excuse himself. Data had apologized, after.

He didn’t blame Data for showing what had happened. It was helpful, strategically, and Data had genuinely not anticipated that it would bother Geordi as much as it had. _Geordi _hadn’t anticipated it would bother it as much as it had. Data wasn’t human, after all, it wasn’t _gory. _Wasn’t _visceral. _

But it was still devastating to see.

Data hadn’t been affected by the video at all. Still, Geordi saw it in subtle ways. Going to moderate lengths not to have anyone else attend to his repairs. Data had started to keep the lights on when they slept. Data rarely slept, at all – if he did, he didn’t engage the dream protocol.

Data’s arm shifted around him until he could feel the android’s head on his chest, right over his heart. “Improving.”

“Yeah.” Geordi reached over to stoke his hair, feeling the almost invisible seams in his head. “I’m glad to hear it, honey.”

He hoped he’d never have to do anything like that again. Although Geordi considered himself lucky – how many people could say they could rebuild their partners, even if they were totally torn apart – he hated every second of seeing Data that way. Without agency, without what made him himself.

“Are you going to try to sleep tonight?”

No response. Geordi didn’t press him, but instead ruffled his hair fondly.

“Perhaps. I anticipate it may be more difficult than usual.”

“Well, you can always wake me up. If you need to.” Data’s head lifted from his chest for a second, and Geordi could’ve sworn he felt Data’s eyes drill into him.

“You have had enough of being woken up in the middle of the night, Geordi.”

“By the Captain? By Engineering? Sure.” Geordi smiled widely at him. “Sweetheart, you can wake me up any time you want to.”

That had definitely gone over Data’s head, but he didn’t question it. His head settled back on his chest, heavy as it was, and Geordi snuggled his head into the pillow. And, with Data next to him, Geordi dozed off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >> needs to work on my actual OC writing  
>> writes daforge hurt/comfort instead  
For some reason, I feel as if I write amnesia fics for all my pairings. Detroit: Become Human (sometimes I look back on it and cringe), Good Omens, and Spirk (for like a chapter). Not sure why it comes up so often, but this idea's been kicking around in my head for a little while. I'm just a sucker for hurt and comfort, especially for these two.  
Thank you for reading! <3


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